Mackie VLZ3 4BUS Manuale Utente

20

   VLZ3 4•Bus

The OL (overload) LED will come on when the  

channel’s input signal is too high. This should be 
avoided, as distortion will occur. If the OL LED comes 
on regularly, check that the gain control [23] is set  
correctly for your input device, and that the channel 
EQ is not set with too much boost. The OL LED will 
also illuminate when a channel's mute switch [38] is 
engaged.

This LED also indicates the channel’s signal level 

after the gain and EQ controls, but just before the  
channel’s level. So even if the level is turned down, you 
can see if a signal is present.

The SIG (signal) LED will come on when the  

channel’s input signal (at least -20 dBu) is present. 
It should illuminate non-stop if signal above 0 dBu is 
present in that channel. This LED will be solid when a 
channel's solo switch [41] is engaged.

Whenever a channel's solo switch is engaged, you 

will hear only the soloed channel(s) in the headphones 
and monitor outputs. This gives you the opportunity to 
audition the channels before they are added to the main 
mix. In PFL mode you can hear the solo signal, even 
when the channel's fader is down.

Solo is also used to set the gain of each channel 

correctly. When a channel is soloed, you can adjust the 
channel gain [23] until your input source reaches the 
level of the 0 dB LED of the left meter. Select PFL on 
the SOLO MODE switch [60] for gain setting.

Solo signals reaching the headphones and 
monitor outputs are not affected by the  
channel level (unless the SOLO MODE switch 
is set to AFL) or main level; therefore, turn 

down the phones level [69] and monitor level [68] first, 
as soloed channels may be loud.

The rude solo light [59] will turn on as a reminder 

that what you are listening to in the headphones and 
control room is just the soloed channel(s), 2-track  
return, stereo return(s), aux(es), and/or group(s). If 
the solo source is an input channel, that channel's SIG 
(signal) LED [40] will illuminate when that channel is 
soloed.

Alongside each channel fader are three buttons 

referred to as channel assignment switches. Used in 
conjunction with the channel's pan knob [37], they 
are used to determine the destination of the channel's 
signal.

With the pan knob at the center detent, the left and 

right sides receive equal signal levels (main mix L-R, 
group 1-2, and group 3-4). To feed only one side or the 
other, turn the pan knob accordingly. 

If you are doing a mixdown to a 2-track, for example, 

simply engage the main mix switch on each channel 
that you want to hear, and they will be sent to the main 
mix bus. If you want to create a group of certain  
channels, engage either the 1-2 or 3-4 switches instead 
of the main mix, and they will be sent to the appropriate 
group faders. From there, the groups may be sent back 
to the main mix (using the group assign switches [73] 
above the group faders [74]), allowing you to use the 
group faders as a master control for those channels.

If you are creating new tracks or bouncing existing 

ones, you will also use the 1-2 and 3-4 switches, but not 
the main mix switch. Here you do not want the groups 
sent back into the main mix bus, but sent out, via the 
group out jacks [11], to your multitrack inputs. 

This is the last control in a channel’s signal path, and 

it adjusts the level of each channel onto the main mix. 
The “U” mark  indicates unity gain, meaning no increase 
or decrease of signal level. All the way up provides an 
additional 10 dB, should you need to boost a section of 
a song. If you find that the overall level is too quiet or 
too loud with the level near unity, check that the gain 
control [23] is set correctly.

When engaged, these switches, located just below the 

stereo channels' gain controls [23], indicate that you 
want to return the internal FX processor signal to the 
stereo channel. The TRS inputs are disengaged when 
the switch is depressed. 

Remember to turn the FX processor level 
controls to aux 1/2 and main all the way down 
to avoid double-bussing the FX return.

See Appendix E (page 37) for a list of the effects 

provided and a description of each one.

The USB switch on the last stereo channel provides 

stereo playback of iTunes

®

, or a DAW via the USB    

connection. Like any other input, this signal may also 
be EQ'd, sent to an aux bus, or mixed in with the other 
signals and assigned to subgroups or main outs. This 
switch overrides both the TRS inputs [5] and the FX2 
switch [44].